SAN NICOLAS, Aruba--TamLeo Books author Ralph Cantave traveled to Aruba last month as an invited guest of Stichting Biblionef for the island's first-ever Reading Festival, held in the heart of San Nicolas. The event was organized in partnership with the National Library of Aruba.
Over two days, Cantave engaged nine classrooms on Friday, leading workshops on the power of words and storytelling through proverbs, riddles, and social media. On Saturday, he brought those same conversations to members of the broader community through live storytelling sessions.
The visit marked Cantave's second time presenting his children's book, Steve Takes a Stand, to students on the island, building on his previous participation in Biblionef's literacy month events on St. Maarten, as a featured reader and guest author. Cantave was featured alongside seasoned storytellers duch as Crisen Schorea of Curacao and Aruba-based creator and social media icon Ephrayim Odor.
A highlight of the festival was the genuine connection Cantave found with the people of San Nicolas, a community that shares deep cultural roots with Sint Maarten. Those conversations reminded him of why documenting and sharing our history matters.
"Our children are bright and filled with amazing ideas and potential," said Cantave. "Every classroom is proof of that."
Cantave will soon be launching Reading with Ralph, a community-based reading platform set to launch in spring.
Steve Takes a Stand is available on Amazon and at local bookstores.
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